The England assistant coach was unveiled as the new manager of the La Liga club yesterday after four years as a television pundit at Sky TV, where he regularly laid into managerial blunders.

Neville, 40, will continue with his England duties with coach Roy Hodgson’s blessing, although he vowed will give 100 per cent to Valencia until his contract with them ends at the end of this season.

The former Manchester United star’s boss at Valencia will be owner Peter Lim - his co-owner at non-League Salford City - and Neville will fly back for their FA Cup second-round tie with Hartlepool tomorrow night.

He insisted he is not looking at the Valencia job as a dress rehearsal for the England job.

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Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs and David Beckham

“I know people will be looking at clips from the past four or five years, but I’m not going to shy away from what I said on television”

Gary Neville

But he admitted that, as a TV pundit, he would have been sceptical about an untried foreigner coming to take over at one of England’s leading clubs.

“I have been offered jobs over this last four or five years but the timing was never right,” he said.

“I wanted to give myself time to learn but when I got the call on Sunday night I thought, ‘What a club, what a challenge’.

“After sitting there on television, the time had come for me to stand up.

“I’m precious about what I take on and associate myself with, and if I had turned this down I would have lost credibility.

“Of course I would question it as a neutral observer. I would be sceptical and want to be proven otherwise.

“I understand I have got to prove to the fans that I’m capable of doing this job. Doubts will only be erased by winning matches.

“I know people will be looking at clips from the past four or five years, but I’m not going to shy away from what I said on television.”

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THE BOSS: Neville is ready for the challenge

Neville, whose brother Phil has been at Valencia as assistant coach since the start of the season, met his players today for the first time.

And he added: “I told the players I will give my all for them and I expect the same from them.

“If Phil was not here anyway I would have wanted him here. He will be part of the team, it will not be a dictatorial approach.”